The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-12
FAVOR A FREE ORDINANCE
What Representative Citizens Think
of the Natural-Gas Legislation.
A Growing Conviction that the Present Ord
nance Must Be Amended Before the City
Will Be Supplied with the New Fuel.

be growing that the ordinance, whether design
eddy or not, has the effect to keep natural gas
out OF the city rather than to bring it in. The
special champions Of THE ordinance appear to
be persons directly indirectly interested in
other fuels or candidates for the Council who.
it is understood. will have the aid of such in
terests il their for nomin alton and cleo
ton. Journal reporter, yesterday, had a
number of casual conversations with citizens
who have views upon the subject of natural gas
and the present ordinance
II do not think" said John s. Snann
shat the existing ordinances is calcu-
lated to bring gas into the city. It
DOES not afford sufficient Inducements to
capital to find the gas and bring it An
open ordinance, without restriction as to price.
based upon the law of competition IS all that is
necessary. There is nc better reason for limit
ing the price of natural gas than to limit tho
price of coal, wood dry goods. real estate or
anything else. My objection to the home COM
panies is founded upon the fact that they are. as
suppose, limited in capital and limited in their
supply of gas, and that in the nature of
things they could not make general distribu-
tion of gas the city with it's hundreds of
miles of streets. Everybody would want gas
right away. and great capital would be required
TO meet this demand promptly. My preference
for the Standard Oil Company Is that believe,
as the people believe, that they have the terri
tory in which to get the gas, and have the cap
ital with which to bring it here speedily and
distribute it promptly. so that all who want it can
have it nearly possible at the same time.
The Standard Oil Company has no local
selfish interest to prevent them from supply
ing it, while the coal and coke interests here
cannot be expected to operate against them
selves and destroy profitable businesses and
monopolies. None of us Would be so magnani
nous, and we need not think the coal and gas
mon are going to be better than the rest of man.,
kind. We want foreign capital to come here
and distribute natural gas in a large and eff
cient way once"
II am satisfied" remarked VIM p Fishback.
'that the effect of the existing ordinance is to
prevent any movement by any responsible COM
pany for the speedy introduction of natural gas
into this city. I believed so at the time the
ordinance was framed, aud rebuked for
making such suggestion at the meeting where
a number Of councilmen were present. That the
gas of small capital content with the
ordinance and have taken no steps what
ever In the way OF formal acceptance of it's
terms, has convinced me that they not in
earnest in their talk about bringing a supply to
the city in time for the winter. believe the in
crease of population for this and the eneuing
year would amount 20 25. 600 il Indianapolis had
shown the enterprise that other cities have
shown would show awaiting themselves of
natural gas am IN favor of having more peo-
pie and more money to come to indianapolis"
Il am greatly in favor of having gas come to
this city" said Horace Mckay. 1T would
seem, with the prospects have already de-
veloped. that the question of conducting the gas
to the city and distributing it to the people who
want it ought to be such simple business
panies interested should to terms
without delay or trouble. believe
there ought be the fullest expression on
this subject in order to give the Council the views
of their constituents and believe the right to
contract for naturagas ought to be left betweer
the company and the citizens, just it is done
In coal and wood, while at the same time the
companies should pay something for the Of
the streets"
Il think the proximity of natural gas to this
city," said DR.. z. HI. Jameson, would be. IL
rightly used, of immense benefit to Indianapolis
If it can be had here at 60 or IS per cent on the
current value Of Indiana block coal it would add
in ten or fifteen years have seen Indianapolis
grow from little town of $780, and do not
think am mistaken in forming this estimate.
The introduction of Latural gas here is matter
of more importance than anything that has
offered during the forty five years have lived
here. | think an ordinance without some
strction would be mistake / believe the
present ordinance is little too low. As read
it. it is about onehalf the coal price. l believs
it would be good thing if could get gas in
troduced % 80 per cent. advance on
the ordinance rate, ana then it would be less
than seventy five cents the dollar of coal
rates. I have lived here long that l feel
if any man puts his hand out to hurt this city
thati want to strike back. / am amply able to
pay u whatever fuel shall want. of whatever
class. long as / live and hope shall need less
hereafter than some of those fellows. So far as
the Standard Oil Company is concerned, would
sooner be swallowed by fat whale. well lined
with blubber, than be eaten mp piecemeal by &
shark"
"On general principles" said Gen. T. A. Nor
ris. Il am in favor of free natural-gas ordi-
Competition is recognized law OF
business, and the best results have always come
from it. l do not think we will get gas any
cheaper by limiting the prices than by open
ordinance. l will not get it thif
year unless We do have an open ordinance
and allow everybody to come in. / be-
lieve in the next place. that the amount OF
gas that Indianapolis can ever reach Is limited
what that supply Is or how long It VIII iass
about H. Any company going into the business
of furnishing would, a consequence of this
uncertainty. demand greater compensation
than in a business that would be sure to last f'r
all time. This gas may not last five years. 1T may
not last two, and may require each year large
addition of wells to keep up a supply. Now,
those who put their money in sucn an enter
prise have a right to charge more under such cir
cnmstances My belief is it will take two
years. if not longer to get our city pPed; l
hardly think it can be done in three During
that time we will be better able to ascertain
what it will cest to bring natural gas here.
If we find after three years that the prices are
bevond what they should be, fair price can
then be fixed and what fair price better
be determined then than now. With regard to
furnishing gas the poor, that is a good and
honorable sentiment to those who advocate it.
but after ALL business is business. AS rule,
the poor live in places where it will probably
never pay company to lay pipes. But ths
moor will be compensated by the reduced price
of coal AS to manufacturers, far
nv information goes. l have not the slightest
hope of getting gas for manufacturers az
cheap as they now getting slack coal. am
heartily in favor of an open ordinance to be
passed Immediately that Indianapolis may &c,
the benefit as soon possible. Time is an i'm
portant element. Those places that have gss
are securing manufactures. not only taking them
away from us, but creating rivalry and compe
tition so that whatever we do should be cont
quickly. Everything here seems to be WAITING
on the introduction Of natural gas"
New Well Near NobIesvil1e.
Another we'll that has been going down with
out any flourish of trumpets mile and quar-.